Despite lab leaks being a known occurrence, the idea that the coronavirus originated in a lab and leaked accidentally, has long been vehemently branded a dangerous conspiracy theory by both the mainstream media and the world's movers and shakers.

Swedish national broadcaster SVT science reporter Bodil Appelquist has claimed she had to stop doing research on the possible origin of the coronavirus, following demands from her editorial staff.

Appelquist ventured that the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) and the media have jointly labelled the lab origin version, which has circulated since the start of the pandemic, a conspiracy theory.

"There was somehow some consensus then, a year ago, that this was a conspiracy theory", she told the newspaper Världen Idag, noticing a turning point that is happening now.

Appelquist said that at the onset of the pandemic she was contacted by several researchers who thought she should take a closer look at the lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the first cases of COVID were detected.

She said she had the time to do extensive research, but was met with such hesitation and questioning from her editorial staff that she had to terminate the project.